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Welcome to the Ashburton Aviation Museum

Ashburton has a strong aviation history, being a training base in World War 2. There were 50 Tiger Moths based there. The original tarmac and tie-down rings are still there to this day. These helped to secure the planes from Mid Canterbury’s strong nor-west winds. The Ashburton Aviation Museum is well worth a visit.

We are situated at the Ashburton Airport!

There are over 20 aircraft on display in the Two Museum Buildings and more in the work shop. These include Devon, Vampire FB5, Harvard, Porterfield, Airtruk, Benson Gyro Glider, Weihe Glider, Hughes Helicopter, Olympia, Flying Flea, Harrier GR3, Canberra B2 Bomber Cockpit. F8 - Meteor, Zlin, DC3, Vampire T11, Link Trainer, Slingsby T31, Bergfalke, Cropmaster, Tiger Moth. The Museum is also home to the Southern DC3 Trusts Historic Airliner ZK AMY .Our latest aquisition is a Thompson Refueller, one of only 9 on display worldwide.

Ashburton Aviation Museum are thrilled to have obtained an ex RNZAF Skyhawk that has been added to their extensive collection. This is a US built jet which are known by many as ‘Scooters’. This large aircraft is about 44 feet long (13.41 metres) and the wingspan is 30 feet (9.14m). At its peak, it is 5 metres high.

The Skyhawk is sure to be yet another attraction to add to the wonderful collection at the Ashburton Aviation Museum.

On the 1st of October a new ‘super hanger’ opened to accommodate the growing number of exhibits. The Museum’s fighter jet collection has been extended with a Hawker Hunter Cockpit all the way from England, along with a Percival Provost that has also been donated to the museum. President Ron McFarlane states that they are ‘building up a collection of history for Ashburton”. Other displays include a “Spaceball” from Cosmos 482, Aircraft Engines, Model RNZAF Station Ashburton, Local History, Memorabilia & Model Aircraft.

There is also: a Research Library and Souvenirs are available for sale.

Currently the Ashburton Aviation Museum Society has around 400 members, of whom 150 are locals. The aerodrome is a convenient refuelling stop for GA and vintage aeroplanes bound for Wanaka, the museum hosts the Sport Aircraft Association's biennial Great Plains Fly -in, and it gets an interesting international mix of visitors. The atmosphere of the place works its way deep into those who pop by, and it has members all around the world.

One result is that its profile isn't as low as it used to be — literally. The museum now has a shiny new hangar looming over everything, with construction and fitting out being completed early this year. While the financial commitment involved would have been terrifying back in 1974, Jim says that it actually wasn't such a mission as the first hangar, there being a lot more funding resources around these days, plus the museum did a deal with the Southern DC-3 Trust which needed a home after its eviction from Wigram.

The hangar was to have been opened on 25 February, but along with just about everything else between Ashburton and Rangiora this plan got knocked back by the earthquake, and it took the arrival of the A4 Skyhawk NZ6204's and assembly by the crew from the RNZAF that gave the museum a chance to invite local members and dignitaries out to the museum for a gala style opening. Official guests included The Minister of Defence Mr Wayne Mapp and our member of Parliament Ms JoGoodhew.

We run a roster system for our museum guides and that gives us the ability to be able to open the museum to the public every day everyday between 1pm and 3pm.Wednesdays and Saturdays we are open 9:30am to 3pm. Wednesday is workshop day with up to 20 members turning up most Wednesdays to help with therestoration projects on the go. A cuppa and a chat is compulsory and takes place at 10.00am. Saturdays see another group turn up for the same routine.